If You Loved Me
by Ang3l S0ng
Summary: OC falls into One Piece, because we're not all sick of these stories yet;) It happened so fast. One minute she's about to be killed by a man she thought she loved, the next she's on a marine ship that's headed straight into war. Can Crystal hide from her past long enough to try and rescue a man she's never met by fighting in a war she has no business in? OCxLuffy!
1. The Cabin in the Woods

**Hi! I'm not really sure what to say... This first chapter is a bit dark but I swear it gets happier! Uhm, also, to the people who have read my other series 'Falling Apart' I know I shouldn't be starting something completely new but I had a lot of ideas that I wasn't able to incorporate into that one. I am taking a little break on that series, I haven't been writing much lately so hopefully doing this story will get me back into it. Well, I know how we all hate long authors notes so I'm going to stop jabbering. Please enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The Cabin in the Woods

_You're NOTHING without me_

_If you even THINK about leaving me…_

_You don't DESERVE me_

_YOU brought this upon yourself_

_You will never find ANYONE as good as me_

_I know best_

_I'm only doing this because I LOVE you_

I have heard it all, every excuse and every lie that he made up. The sad part is that I actually believe him sometimes. It's hard not to when that's all you ever get to hear.

I want to leave. I want to but… I can't. I've tried running but he always catches me. I've tried hiding but he always finds me. I've tried dying but he always stops me. Why? Because he loves me. That's what he says anyway…

The beatings got worse and worse and worse and worse. He wasn't even drunk when he did it. He was always aware. Always aware of my screams, of my tears, and he enjoyed it.

It was my first real relationship so I didn't see the signs when they started to show. He was sweet and kind. He always treated me right and was a proper gentleman. I first became unsure when I was assigned to do a project with another boy in our class. We had arranged to meet later that evening at his house to work on it. He didn't like that. He hit me for the first time that night. I was so scared and I cried so hard. He hugged me and told me it would be alright, He apologized to me over and over again. But it didn't stop.

I hummed a tune to myself as I walked down His long driveway. It was a beautiful place. Tree branches extended over the long winding gravel path, leading deeper into the dense forest. I felt sick to my stomach but choose to ignore the feelings of dread creeping through my body. I've gotten used to this feeling.

The wind blew, tussling my knee length baby blue sundress. My blonde hair gently fell into my face and I hooked it back behind my ear.

I was in no hurry to get to the house. I knew what would be awaiting me there; I did not look forward to it. Too soon though, the small cabin came into view.

_A small cabin in the woods… what a cliché. _

I hesitated just before reaching out to turn the brass door knob. I could turn around, I could get help. That was the problem though, no one would help. Everyone is too caught up in their own lives to care. I guess, in a way, that's the whole reason I'm in this mess. I wanted someone to care for me, to love me. My parents don't love me. If I'm lucky they'll glance up from their work long enough to give me a look of disgust.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The musky smell of him was all over the room. "Hey, Jack." I said quietly as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Jack was a very handsome man. He had dark shaggy hair and beautiful blue eyes, a strong build and a kind face.

No wonder I fell in love with him.

_What a mistake that was._

He smiled a twisted smile at me. I felt sick. I knew that smile all too well and it did not bring good news. "Hey babe, how are you today?" He stood up to approach me and I tensed up. He pulled me in to a gentle hug but I didn't return it.

"I'm good. How was your day?" Jack let me go and walked over to the kitchen to open a drawer. He moved a few things around before finding what he was looking for. His back was turned to me so I was unable to see the object that he was now fiddling with.

"Great!" He said, a little too enthusiastically. "I ended up meeting someone today." This caught my attention. Jack wasn't really the kind of person to just go out and meet with people, he was pretty anti-social. "She told me that my girlfriend was with another man yesterday." My breath caught in my throat. I knew it was a lie. I hadn't talked to any other guy since the first incident. I wouldn't take that chance again. I also knew that Jack would and could find anything to make up if it meant getting to hurt me.

Jack turned around and in his hand I finally saw the sharp steel blade of a steak knife, glinting in the light of the dining room chandelier. I couldn't breathe. My body refused to move as he walked over to me, smiling cheerfully, as if he wasn't about to gut me like a fish. "Now, you know what happens when I hear about you talking to other men. You have been a very naughty girl."

Jack lifted my chin up with the tip of the blade, forcing me to meet his eyes, the eyes of my first love and the eyes of the man that caused me so much pain.

What happened next was all a blur. I sort of remember trying to run, a sharp pain across my right shoulder, a punch to the face, glass shattering and more pain along my arms and legs.

At some point I ended up on the floor, Jack straddling my waist. My once blue dress was stained with red and I was breathing hard, ragged breathes. My sight was blurry but I could still make out Jacks smile. He spoke words that I couldn't hear before bringing the knife down over my heart. The steel dug into my skin and I let out an animalistic shriek that, regardless of how loud, I was sure no one would hear. He continued to slash the skin over my heart; he didn't stop until he was satisfied.

Tears poured out of my eyes and onto the blood stained carpet. I whimpered and curled into myself, flinching at the injuries that littered my body. I listened carefully as my senses slowly came back. The clicking of a gun caused my heart to stop. He was going to kill me. He had had his fun with me and now I was going to die.

"I'm doing this because I love you Crystal."

_Lies_

Just before he pulled the trigger, something happened, something that wasn't too clear to me. There was a bright light, so bright I felt I might go blind. Then the feel of the wet carpet under my battered body seemed to fade away.

_Was I going numb?_

_No… that's not it._

I was no longer lying in the cabin in the woods, at the feet of my lover who was about to end my life.

I was falling.

**This is just the first chapter! I'll get at least up to the third chapter and depending on reviews and if you guys like this story I'll continue it. I'm not expecting much feedback yet considering this wasn't much to go on. Either way, I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Fallen Angel

**Hi again! How's everyone doing? Here's the second chapter, I hope it's a bit lighter then the last one. Though due to the fact that she will be in the war for chapters to come it may feel dark again. Not really sure what else to say... I'm trying to work on updates for my other stories so bear with me please! I'm trying my best. Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Fallen Angel

_I was no longer lying in the cabin in the woods, at the feet of my lover who was about to end my life. _

_I was falling._

Not fast but not slow either. It felt as if I was going down a slide. The wind brushing my hair away from my face and my arms spread wide. The only thing missing was the slide and the curve that it provided in your decent. I was falling straight down.

It didn't last long however as I suddenly connected with something hard and flat. The air escaped my lungs and I gasped as my injuries were irritated in the rough landing. Everything slowly started to catch up with me.

Jack.

I leapt to my feet, ignoring the pain and running only on adrenaline. The first thing I noticed was the people. They were all staring at me with shock, confusion or wariness. They were an odd bunch, most wearing black and white stripped outfits that reminded me of what prisoners wore. One larger man that I noticed was a sickly blue colour and almost resembled a fish.

The second thing I noticed was that I was on a ship.

In the middle of the ocean.

When the ocean was supposed to be over 1'000 miles away.

…

Suddenly a young boy about my age broke through the crowd. "Jinbei! What's going on!" he yelled. He looked over at me and titled his head in confusion. The boy had black messy hair and big onyx eyes. He was wearing a yellow button up vest and red frayed shorts that reached to his knees. On his feet was a pair of sandals. That wasn't what stood out the most though. He had an old straw hat hanging off a string around his neck and a curved scar just under his left eye.

My heart beat faster as he looked me over.

"Who the heck are you?" I flinched at the words and whimpered slightly. The blue fish looking guy spoke next.

"She just fell from the sky all of the sudden." He sounded just as confused as I felt. The raven haired boy seemed to like that explanation and he walked over to me. Every step he took, I took two backwards. I soon ran out of room however, when I felt the ships railing against my back. The boy stopped about an arm's length away from me. Now that he was so close I could see just how beat up the poor kid looked, though I probably looked as bad as he did.

The boy tilted his head to the other side.

"Are you an angel?" he asked.

_Wait…what?_

This kid couldn't be serious. Right?

Before I could answer he spoke up again. "I know! He exclaimed "You must be my guardian angel!"

…_I have no idea what to say to this kid…_

"So then… you're here to help me save Ace!" He closed the gap between us and gave me a large hug, pinning my arms at my sides. I felt heat rise up the back of my neck and my cheeks, turning them a bright red but I ignored it as my injuries were irritated and I hissed, pushing him off of me.

The action didn't seem to deter him though.

"My names Monkey D. Luffy! I'm gonna be king of the pirates! It's nice to meet you Angel!" Luffy stuck his hand out in greeting and I looked at it hesitantly. Could I trust him? Will he just hurt me? Is it alright that I talk to another man? Jack could still find me. He always did.

Throwing all concern for that out the window (I was going to die anyway), I took his hand. It felt rough and warm against my own and I felt myself relax slightly. A feeling of security washed over me, a feeling that was too foreign for me to name settled in my heart.

"Crystal." I murmured with a scratchy voice. All that screaming was bound to have done some damage, so I wasn't surprised. "My name's Crystal."

Now that I was calm, I felt the adrenaline leave my body and the fatigue and pain came rushing back. I seethed and clamped my eyes shut, feeling myself pitching forward. I prepared to hit the deck for the second time that day, but was pleasantly surprised when I felt two thin but strong arms wrap around me. I opened my eyes gently to find myself being lowered down to the deck slowly. Luffy turned around and yelled for a doctor.

"O-Oi! What happened to you? Where did you come from? Who did this to you?" Luffy fired the questions off one after another, not giving me time to answer. When he was finished he looked at me expectantly. I looked him in the eyes; eyes that showed general worry for me, and… I smiled. For the first time in over 3 years, I smiled. It was a true smile; there was nothing fake about it.

"I got a second chance." I whispered and let out a joyous laugh, because that's what it was right? How else can I explain this situation? Whatever god or higher up that was looking out for me gave me a chance. A chance to fix everything, a chance to have the life I never got to have.

A chance to love and feel loved again.

I closed my eyes and let the darkness surround me before falling unconscious.

When I woke up I expected to see Jack looming over me, a gun to my head. That's not what I saw though. I was looking into the eyes of the straw hat boy.

_Luffy_

That was his name, Luffy. He gave me a face splitting smile and I groaned, carefully sitting up. My body was swore and stiff but it didn't hurt too bad. The slashed skin over my heart hurt the most as expected.

"You're awake!" Luffy said happily.

"Where am I?" I asked with a hoarse voice.

"On a Navy ship." I looked at him oddly. He didn't look like a navy man. His answer didn't really help either.

"Where in the world, I mean"

"Ah! We're on the Grand Line!" He told me as if that explained everything. Grand Line… That didn't sound at all familiar. Maybe I wasn't in my world any more… It scared me how fast that thought seemed to jump into my mind. It was crazy and impossible but at the same time it felt… right. Like when you play a trivia game and you are completely sure that you know the right answer. If it was true then…

_Maybe Jack won't be able to find me this time!_

The thought made me extremely happy and I couldn't stop the large smile that stretched across my lips. I was free.

"Where did you come from?" Luffy asked, again tilting his head to the side in an unbelievably cute way. I thought about how I should answer before deciding to tell the truth.

"A different world." I said simply. Luffy's eyes filled with stars of amazement.

"Really!? That's so cool! So you really are my guardian angel!"

"Not really…" I smiled sadly and he frowned a bit. "So where is this ship going?" Luffy's expression became serious.

"We're going to Marineford, to save my brother." He tilted his head down so that his hat, which now sat on top of his head, shadowed his eyes. I looked at him with worry and confusion.

"Your… brother?" I repeated. The way he spoke that word, with so much worry and concern laced between fondness and love drew my attention away from the fact that I had no idea what 'Marineford' was.

He simply nodded, not looking up at me. "I was separated from my crew not too long ago and I found out that my brother is going to be executed. By the time I broke into the prison he was being held in, he was already being taken to Marineford." Luffy explained.

I looked down at my lap, trying to absorb the information. Something's still didn't make sense. What did he mean by crew? What kind of crew? What the heck was Marineford? Why was this man's brother going to be executed? Did he commit a crime? Were they criminals?

I pushed the questions away. Instead, I listened to my heart. It was telling me that everything would be okay. It wanted to feel that safety it felt when Luffy was near. Was this what friendship was like? I smiled sadly. It was only a matter of time before Jack found me. Different world or not.

I looked up at Luffy who was looking at me with a blank expression. The feeling in my heart came back when our eyes met and I realized something. My choices were limited but I'd rather help then sit around and wait for my death to come. If I died with this feeling inside then I would die happy. That is more than I could ever ask.

We sat in silence for a while longer before I finally spoke up. "I want to help." The sudden statement seemed to make him freeze and I clenched my hands in my lap. There was more silence as I looked him dead in the eyes, determination rung through me. I had to help this boy, if not for him then for my own peace of mind. After a minute Luffy smiled at me, it wasn't a large childish smile that I had seen him give me but one that showed relief and gratitude for my offer.

"Vwe've made it past the gates!" A yell from the deck alerted us both and Luffy grabbed my hand before running out of the infirmary. I winced slightly but I was otherwise okay. If I was going to fight then I couldn't let some little thing like this stop me. On deck the blue fish guy was steering the ship and another… person was standing beside him. The guy… I think… had a very big face. Not to be rude or anything but, man was it huge! He had a ton of make up on and had purple frizzy hair. He was wearing, well, girls' clothing.

_Transvestite, great…_

Luffy stopped beside him, still holding my hand. "Now then, Vi wonder if vyou and Ace-boy's father will show up." I tried my best to hide myself behind Luffy without being too obvious. I still wasn't sure if I should be interacting with other men.

"Ace's father?" Luffy sounded confused. The weird man knelt down beside Luffy and I, putting his hand on the other side of his mouth as if to tell a secret. Before he could however he finally noticed me standing next to Luffy.

"Ah! Vyour awake Vi see!" I nodded slowly and squeezed Luffy's hand a little tighter. He tightened his hold as well and gave me a reassuring smile. I could trust him. "vwell anyway, since his son Ace is about to be executed Vi'm sure Dragon will do something!" The transvestite said, turning back to Luffy. I vaguely wondered who Dragon was before listening back to the conversation.

"Oh, me and Ace don't have the same dad." I blinked at Luffy. So they were adoptive brothers then? The transvestite froze for a second. "My dad is Dragon… but Ace's dad is Gold Roger." Luffy explained. None of the names sounded familiar so I made a note to ask Luffy about it later. By the shocked face of the transvestite then I assumed they were some pretty famous guys. "It's pretty amazing, but I heard they never actually met." Luffy continued, then added "Although, Ace will probably get mad at me for telling you. Oh, yeah. This is a secret, by the way." I giggled at the shocked yells of the entire ship. I didn't really understand the big deal but whatever, all I needed to do is help Luffy get his brother back.

After the initial shock wore off, the transvestite, who I learned was named Ivankov, turned to me. "So vwhat are you doing here?" I looked at him and repeated the same thing I told Luffy.

"I'm getting a second chance." This only served to confuse him more.

"How did you get here then and how did you get so hurt?" I bit my lip and thought for a minute. I wasn't going to tell them where I was from. I only told Luffy because I felt like I had some kind of connection with him. Just before I was about to respond, said boy jumped in front of me facing Ivankov.

"She's from-" Before He could finish his sentence I clamped my hand over his mouth.

"Um… I'm not from around here, is what he was going to say, right Luffy?" I asked. I received a muffled response. Ivankov gave me a suspicious look before going off to talk to someone else. I took my hand off Luffy's mouth and he pouted. "Look, can we just keep the whole 'being from another world' thing between us? I'm not really comfortable with everyone on the ship knowing about that."

Luffy was about to speak when he was cut off again, but this time it wasn't because of me.

A large force suddenly hit the front of the ship. I lost my balance and fell to the floor, sliding as I was pushed back by what felt like and incredibly powerful wind. The ship was fairing no better as it began being pushing backwards in the opposite direction that we wanted to go. "How is this even possible?! We were just moving forward smoothly a second ago, too!" I heard someone yell.

Everyone fought to grab a hold of something so they were not flung off the ship. I grabbed onto a railing that I was pushed into.

Just as fast as it came, however, it stopped. As the crew recollected themselves, I brushed down my dress that had been messed up in the sudden wind.

"Oi! Jinbei! Try to hurry up! Please! We have to get there before Ace is executed!" I heard Luffy say. He was pulling desperately on the back of the fish man, Jinbei's coat.

"Do not worry, Luffy-kun. We will definitely get there in time!" Jinbei reassured.

"Really?" Luffy asked with more hope in his voice. I walked over to the edge of the ship, looking into the water. Despite it being calm, the water was acting strange…

I vaguely heard Luffy arguing with one of the men but ignored it as I studied the water further. Something wasn't right…

The ship creaked and moaned at the sudden change in current, the wind picked up and propelled us forward. A black shadow covered the ship, drawing the attention of the people on board. I turned and looked at it. What I saw made me scream.

"Angel!" someone called. The voice sounded far away and distant to my ears but I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me across the deck. I slammed into a body and I buried my face in the person's chest.

_This was not going to be fun._

**Well! That's it for now! I wanted to thank everyone for your awesome reviews! I didn't expect to get - what, 6? - on the first chapter. I really appreciate the pointers and suggestions as well as the support you guys give! Thank you so much! **


	3. War

**Well, I really didn't expect to get this chapter up so fast but here ya go! I don't really have much to say, except thanks for the reviews and follows/favourites~ **

Chapter 3

"It's a tsunami!"

"It's huge! It's gonna swallow us up!"

People ran around deck, yelling and screaming. I buried my face deeper into Luffy's chest, my heart beating a mile a minute. I wasn't very familiar with the ocean but I did know that no wave should be that massive. The collection of water rose higher and higher, gaining more and more speed as it towered over our suddenly tiny ship. Luffy turned to Jinbei urgently. "H-Hey, Jinbei! If this continues…" He trailed off turning towards the massive wave, holding me close to him. "I can't get killed by some tsunami out here! I… I've gotta save Ace!"

Understanding the dire situation and figuring I wasn't helping very much by cowering, I stepped away from Luffy and turned to Jinbei nervously. I took a deep breath to steal myself and slow my racing heart. I put up a brave front that I hopped was believable enough.

"Pull in the sails!" Jinbei ordered shouting over the wind. The wooden masts of the ship creaked and groaned with strain. "Luffy-kun! We'll hold steady and ride the wave!"

My eyes widened at the plan. It was absolutely insane but I also understood that we were out of options. There was no way to avoid that thing. Luffy nodded with a determination that I could only dream to have.

Jinbei looked back at the wave and cursed. "Hold on tight, or you'll be pulled off by the wave!" He yelled.

Without hesitation I ran to a railing, trying to find a secure spot between the tons of men who had the same idea. Others were rushing to real in the sails, hanging along the mast like birds on a telephone wire. I wasn't sure where Luffy had gone but I had to trust that he was safe. I found a spot and held on as the wave finally caught up to the ship.

Like a ride at an amusement park the ship rode the front of the wave, climbing straight up. I strained to keep my grip, my muscles burning and my chest stinging as my injury re-opened. My hands slipped slightly but I didn't lose my grip to the vertical ascension of the ship.

Gallons of water rained down on us as the boat broke the crest of the wave. We were thrashed back and forth wildly. By some miracle I didn't get thrown off.

I managed to lift my head enough to see that we were now surfing the top of the wave. But the ship was moving fast with the current and we were heading right back into the crest.

Then it just stopped.

Everything froze. Literally. The entire tsunami turned into one massive iceberg in the time span of a second. The ship came to a dead stop on top. I sat up slowly, coughing up some of the water that got in my mouth. I ran to the edge and looked down at the once raging water.

What the heck just happened?!

A man who had a horizontal scare across his face and a cigar in his mouth jumped down off the boat. He walked to the edge and looked down. "Take a look below. There's your answer." He said. Jinbei and Ivankov jumped off the ship and looked down at whatever was down there.

I looked around trying to find Luffy. He was the only one I trusted here. I spotted him standing on the large turret in the front of the ship. He had his eyes shaded and he stood stiffly as if he were assessing the situation. He put his hands on his hips and looked up. "I've got an idea how we can get past this! Now that we got this far, we have to hurry! We've got less than three hours till they execute Ace!" Luffy went on to explain that he wanted to break the ice so that the ship would slide backwards into the unfrozen ocean. It wasn't a bad plan and we didn't have much time.

The crew of prisoners didn't seem to agree very much with the plan and threw out their concerns with the idea. Luffy clenched his fists. "If we work together, I know we can do this!" He encouraged.

Any following statements were cut off by a strange sound. It sort of sounded like ringing but it was different. I glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. Everyone seemed to be looking in the same direction and I followed their gaze to a snail. The ringing stopped and the yellow snail with a blue and white shell spoke. "Calling all ships and troops. Our target is site TOTTZ. Change formation and initiate Operation Three."

"It's a broadcast of the Navy's plans…" Someone murmured not at all fazed by the fact that a snail was talking. I added this to the every growing mental list of things to ask later.

"Make haste with the preparations." The snail continued. Luffy jumped down and walked over to the small group that had formed to hear what the snail was saying.

One man turned to another. "TOT… What was that about?" He asked in confusion. The other just shrugged.

"Dunno… Probably some sort of code."

The snail seemed to speak louder, its next words echoing around the ship. "Once the preparations are complete, we'll push the schedule forward and execute Ace! Over!"

With a slight 'Ka-chank' the snail seemed to go to sleep. No one moved for a moment until the news finally sunk in. I looked over at Luffy with worry. I may not know everything that was going on but by the horror stricken look on his face, this was not planned for. I was just about to say something to him but he turned and ran towards the ships railing. "Let's go!" He called behind him.

Ivankov, Jinbei, the man with a horizontal scar and some guy with a big red nose followed after him. They all jumped into the air and readied an attack on the ice. I gasped in shock when Luffy's leg stretched to an ungodly length and slammed into the ice at the same time as the others. My mind didn't have time to process what I had just seen because before I knew it I was no longer standing on the ship.

A shocked yell chorused through the make-shift crew "Wrong way!"

I shrieked as we all fell, having just realized how huge the wave really was. I looked down at the ground that was fast approaching, through my hair that was whipping in all directions.

Hundreds – no – maybe thousands of people were below us.

This wasn't just an execution.

This was a _war. _

It hit me like a punch to the chest. I was going into a war. Would I be able to do this? Was I strong enough? Doubts fogged up my mind as my screams intermingled with everyone else's. But suddenly it was all gone. My head was more clear than it had been for days and I furrowed my brow looking around for the cause of the sudden peace of mind.

That's when I found it. Luffy was falling right beside me, hand grabbing tightly on mine. He didn't look at me but he didn't have to.

The ground came up fast.

Then… black.

My body ached. My ears were ringing from the crash. For a minute, I wasn't even sure if I was breathing but a harsh cough ripping through my lungs reassured me that I was. The cacophony of sounds around me seemed far away and hollow, as if I was in a long tunnel with someone shouting from one end. The ringing died down enough for me to distinguish certain sounds.

The metallic clang of swords against swords, the screams of pain and the thuds of bodies dropping.

I dared to open my eyes, blinking the tears of pain away. I was looking up at the dark grey sky. Smoke and dust filled my nose making it hard to breath. The sounds grew louder until they seemed to come from every direction. A scream and a grunt from my left caused me to sit up quickly. My fight or flight responses were kicking in but I couldn't pin point a single enemy to fight. Unable to tell who was 'good' and who was the enemy.

Upon looking around, I was able to finally examine my location. Men everywhere were fighting to the death. The scene of blood and screams seemed to go on for miles. The war seemed to be nearing an end. More people lay dead then there were people standing or fighting. I was sitting on the ice, next to the navy ship we had arrived in. It was completely wrecked. I looked around for anyone familiar but I saw no one. I was alone.

Anger filled me. I was supposed to help Luffy, not lay here unconscious for the entire war!

Thinking quickly I grabbed a fallen man's sword. If this was a war it would probably be a good idea to defend myself. Just after I had the sword in hand a shout behind me alerted me to the danger that was coming. Whirling around, my eyes widened to see a man dressed in a blue and white uniform charging at me, sword raised high above his head. My heart stopped and I took a step back, holding my own sword in front of me awkwardly. A sick realization dawned on me. I had no idea how to use a sword.

The man didn't seem to care that he was about to take my life, and in the middle of war, I didn't blame him. It was kill or be killed. He brought his sword down.

I stumbled backwards in a failed attempt to get out of the way, when suddenly my vision was enveloped by a bright flash. The same bright flash that saved my life before. The last thing I saw was the man's wide eyes but they were quickly replaced by a new scene.

I fell on my butt and gapped. I was no longer in the midst of the massive war. I was above it. In front of me were three men, two of them collapsed out on the ground, dead or unconscious, I wasn't sure. The last one was kneeling in chains that were locked to the wooden floor we were on. It appeared to be some sort of scaffolding.

My breathing was rugged and my hands were shaking, there was so much going on that I didn't understand. Strange and dangerous things that scared yet fascinated me.

The man that was locked up looked like he was in horrible shape. Injuries littered his back but you could still easily make out a jolly roger tattooed on his back.

I shakily crawled forwards, around the man. He ripped his eyes away from the battle field and looked at me in shock. He had tear tracks down his freckled face. My mind shut itself off. Unable to comprehend anything that had happened so far. I crawled up to him and rested my hand on his cheek. He only blinked at me, his eyes filled with scars of the past and the horrors of the future.

I gently scrubbed at the some dirt on his face. His breathe caught in his throat. By the looks of it, it had probably been a while since he was treated gently. Letting my hand fall I noticed his shackles needed a key. I turned my head, searching up and down the fallen men, trying to see if they had any sort of key. The man's voice interrupted me.

"Who are you?" He asked carefully but quietly. I looked up at him, my expression blank.

"Someone who's got nothing to lose." I told him. Before he could respond I crawled to the man I hadn't checked yet, calmly lifting up a key from his belt. "You're Luffy's brother."

He nodded. "How did you get up here?" He asked, surprisingly calm for a man about to be executed.

I didn't answer. How can you answer something you don't even know yourself? In the back of my mind I was vaguely aware of how badly I was shaking as I moved to put the key into his cuffs.

A sound stopped me.

I moved before I thought. My body flung itself in front of Luffy's brother, shielding him from the projectile that was shooting towards him.

There was a sharp pain, before the agonizing burning that seemed to spread across my lower back. However, my mind was still gone. No coherent thoughts were present and nothing registered properly. The only thing I was focused on was the man's horrified eyes. He didn't get hit did he? I sure hope not. My body gave out and I frowned as I collapsed on my side. I didn't tell it to do that. I still needed to set the man free.

But my body didn't move. A familiar voice reached my ears. "I finally made it! Ace!"

"Luffy!" The man cried.

There was a short silence.

"Angel! Are you okay!?" I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me on to my back.

My body convulsed when I rolled onto my wound. Oh… What had injured me again? My frown deepened. This was just pathetic. I sat up, my mind fighting to get my body to listen. Luffy was kneeling in front of me and Ace, his expression mixed with relief and worry and _fear. _I held out the key for him and he took it gratefully, not asking questions.

He rushed to get the shackles off of his brother, who had a new hope shining in his eyes.

I felt myself smile. Shoving the pain to the back of my mind, I stood as if nothing was wrong. The shouts of shock and joy from the battlefield echoed behind me as people realized that Luffy had made it. Ace would be okay now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a man walk up. He glared towards Luffy and Ace. He wore a white jacket with yellow tassels on the shoulders, a sash across his chest and a strange seagull hat on his head. I stood protectively in front of the brothers, not liking the dark aura I was receiving from this man. He just looked me up and down, unamused. "Move girl."

My fists clenched, blood squishing between my fingers and dripping on the wood. He spoke down to me, as if I was nothing but a pebble he could easily kick away. I didn't doubt that he could but if I could do anything to buy them even a second more than…

I stood my ground.

The man narrowed his eyes dangerously, his gaze flicked towards Luffy who was inches away from unlocking the cuffs. _What was taking so long!? _

Then something changed in the man. His skin seemed to radiate a strange golden glow that grew brighter and brighter each second. It pulsed from him in waves, somehow causing the bolts of the scaffold to shoot from their bindings with a loud 'ping'. His body grew to an enormous size and the light became so bright I had to squint to see. Suddenly the light died and the man now stood like a giant golden statue before us.

However, this statue could move. "Did you really think I would let you get away?" He yelled angrily. Ace looked up at the man in horror.

"Sengoku!" He yelled what I could only guess was the gold man's name. I spun around to Luffy, realizing that my chances against this guy were a complete nada. _I couldn't even take on one man with a sword. _

"Hurry, Luffy!"

Said boy was shaking, whether it was from pain or emotional stress was hard to tell. The key was just reaching the lock when I heard the sound from before. It was a high pitch whirring. Before I could look to see where it was coming from a streak of light flashed in front of Luffy.

The light split the key in half. Luffy gasped and dropped the now useless item. "The key!"

I almost wanted to rip my hair out in frustration.

"Damn it…" I swore under my breath. What were we going to do now!?

"This is bad! The key…" Luffy started to freak out.

Sengoku's voice caused me to jump and back towards the brothers. "Straw Hat Luffy. You are also a renowned criminal worthy of the death penalty. Now, as brothers, I will execute you myself!"

My mind spun as he pulled back a huge golden fist, ready to smash us into dust. So Luffy was a criminal!? Somehow that seemed a little backwards in this situation. Luffy was trying to get his brother back and this man was trying to kill us. _Who's the criminal? _

A moan drew my attention to one of the men I had gotten the key off of. He sat up slowly mumbling "What happened… I lost consciousness all of a sudden." He put a hand to the back of his head and looked up. The now awake guy was wearing a pair of glasses with one of the lenses cracked, he had a bit of stubble around his mouth and black hair sticking out from under his hat. He seemed to recognize Luffy. "Straw Hat?"

I vaguely wondered why everyone kept calling Luffy Straw Hat but wrote it off as an alias of some sort. "Three! What are you doing here?" Luffy asked in shock.

A golden light reflected off of 'Three's' glasses and we all turned around to Sengoku who brought his fist down. I gasped and stepped back. Thinking quickly, Luffy shouted to Three. "Hey, Three… protect Ace and Angel with a wall!"

Without questioning, Three grabbed me around my waist and shoved me down beside Ace. Crouching down himself, he swished his hand over us and formed a wall out of some kind of hard white material. I struggled against Three. "Wait! What about Luffy!" My nerves spazzed as I irritated my wound on my back but the pain still didn't register.

I heard Luffy shout what sounded like an attack. "Gomu Gomu no Giganto Fuusen!"

Something seemed to hit the wall that Three made and there was a large release of air accompanied by a pained groan. The floor beneath us gave out with the loud snapping of the scaffolds metal supports. We slipped off the edge of the platform and fell. Ace's shackles were still on but they had been broken off with the force of the punch. Luffy seemed to have shrunk to the size of a toddler.

I grabbed the tiny boys hand, making sure we didn't stray too far in our fall. Three fell not too far from us. "I'll make a key!" He yelled. "Those shackles will be off in no time!" He then used his strange power to create a replica of the key that had been destroyed. He tossed it to Luffy just as they order rang out to fire.

My vision was blocked by a large explosion. My body felt as if it compressed into itself from every angle at the same moment. The heat, searing my skin and singeing my clothes. However, it was suddenly replaced by a more intense heat but this heat didn't burn, it felt welcoming almost. I felt my hand, that was still in Luffy's, tugged and I looked up to see him gleaming happily at his brother who no longer had the shackles on.

He was also on fire.

Another addition to the list.

"You never change, Luffy." Ace said, spinning around and smirking at his little brother. I managed to grab the back of Three's shirt before he fell any further. Considering he helped us I figured he was a good guy. "Never listen to a single word I say." Ace reached forward and grabbed Luffy's shirt then blew a pillar of flame through the smoke that threatened to suffocate us. "Always doing the dumbest things."

Despite his words, the fondness in his voice was clear as day. My heart swelled when I caught a glance of the pure happiness that shined on Luffy's face. He was smiling the biggest smile I had ever seen.

Ace was okay. Luffy was happy.

Cheers broke out from the people when we emerged from the smoke. "Ace!" Luffy cried, tears in his eyes. I felt like crying myself. But I bottled the emotions up. It wasn't over yet.

"Stay sharp Luffy." Ace warned as we neared the ground. "Let's take 'em all out!"

"Right!" Luffy responded. Seconds before we got to the ground, Luffy spun around to me, squeezing my hand tightly. "Thank you! Angel!"

Luffy and Ace launched into their attacks wiping out enemy after enemy. I hit the ground with a harsh jolt, Three smacking down beside me. I wasn't exactly sure what I did to deserve Luffy's thanks or even the smile on his face but the fact that I did _something _was good enough for me. I followed close to Luffy and Ace, trying to keep out of their way but also trying to help in any way possible.

Any men that I saw running to join the fight, I punched and kicked and basically did anything that I could to put them out of commission. I noticed a man run up behind Luffy, his sword raised to strike. I quickly tackled the guy, smashing his head into the stone and knocking him out. Luffy shot me a quick thanks before getting right back in the fray.

We managed to clear a path and we ran in the direction of what I assumed was our escape ship. Luffy and Ace ran a little ways ahead, and I trailed behind, trying to keep up. I was nowhere near as strong as those two and I could feel my body failing on me. The only thing keeping me going right now was that Luffy and his brother were still in danger.

Luffy and Ace came to a halt. A man dressed in similar garb to Sengoku stood before them. I sped up not liking the looks of this. Ace put his arm out in front of Luffy protectively but could do nothing to stop me from running out in front of them.

"O-Oi!" Ace exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing!?"

I didn't look back at the two. I stood breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. The man before me raised his hand, ice incasing his arm and part of his face. "I'll hold him off." I huffed. "Keep going!"

Luffy stepped forward as far as he could with his brothers arm still keeping him back. "No! We aren't leaving you here Angel! Come on! Let Ace handle it!" He tried to reason. I smiled sadly, knowing exactly what he was thinking. _I'm not strong enough. _I knew that all too well. But every second counts.

"There's no time to waste. We just got Ace free, I'm not taking the chance of him getting killed. The faster you guys get out of here the better. NOW GO!" I shouted at them waving my hand harshly as if swatting them away.

Ace swore under his breath before he grabbed Luffy's arm and tugged him around the ice man. Luffy scratched at his brother, yelling at him to let go and to go help me but he kept running, face emotionless. Luffy looked back at me, realizing it was futile. I gave him the biggest smile I could muster and shot him a thumbs up before they ran into a crowd and out of sight. That was probably the last I'd get to see of the boy.

My attention snapped to the ice man who looked at me with a bored expression. "I don't have time for you." He said simply, turning to where the brothers had run. Panicking, I picked up the nearest weapon, which happened to be a gun and fired off what was left of its ammo. Each bullet bounced off the man like it was nothing. I hadn't really expected it to do anything except get his attention which it did.

The ice man turned back at me with the same expression. He put out his hand again and it began to freeze over. Out of instinct I jumped and rolled to my left, just barely avoiding being skewered with a spear of ice that shot from the ground. The ice man raised an eyebrow, probably having not expecting me to move in time. He walked towards me and I searched anywhere nearby for a weapon but there was none in reach.

I didn't even have time to look back at the man when I felt something rip through my skin. Four fingers stabbed into my chest, directly around the 'X' that Jack had so kindly marked me with. The iced over digits sunk deeper, eliciting a choke of pain from me. My warm blood oozed slowly and thickly from the holes and my vision fluttered. It hurt to breathe and the cold burned like acid. He stepped back, slipping his fingers out of my chest. I collapsed backwards onto the injury on my back. Blood splattered everywhere, pooling beneath my still form.

I couldn't hear anything. A copper taste forced its way up my throat, spilling from the corners of my mouth. I could feel my body shutting down as it tried to put as much energy as it could spare into keeping my heart beating. Through half blurred eyes I watched as the ice man walked away, not looking back and not caring as I lay dying. My muscles twitched, not taking kindly to the pure agony that ripped through them. I felt tired. _So very tired. _

I wanted nothing more than to sleep. My head rolled to the side. My golden hair was soaked in blood and dirt. The massive of bodies seemed to part for a moment and I caught a glimpse of something.

Something that stopped my slowly beating heart.

There stood Ace, Luffy on the ground in front of him looking up with disbelieving eyes. Before him his elder brother stood with a fist of lava breaking and burning everything inside him.

My heart sped up to unnatural speeds and more blood dripped from my wounds.

A scream ripped itself from my blood filled throat, echoing through the battle field. People turned heads and tried to pin point the cause of the pure terrified screech.

I lifted my arm wanting to reach for them, wanting to help. But I couldn't move.

_I'm not strong enough. _

Tears of frustration and rage and horror spilled from my eyes.

Ace slipped forward, falling into his brothers awaiting arms. The man made of lava was attacked by Jinbei and a few others who despite knowing what was too some, wanted to keep him away from Ace.

I could see Luffy shattering as words were spoken, final wishes and last goodbyes. He cried desperately for a doctor but there was no point. Ace was going to die.

The thought burned my mind. It hurt so badly that I released another agonized scream.

Ace slipped and fell. His body was slack, hitting the ground with a _thump,_ spraying his own blood. His face was turned in my direction.

My heart finally stopped and my eyes closed. A final tear slid down my cheek.

The image of Ace's dead lips relaxed into a soft smile forever burned into my mind.

**I'm sorry I squished this down into one chapter... I hope I didn't to to bad of a job with this, despite the speed of everything happening. I think I might have to go back and reconstruct this story when its done but oh well! Everyone seems to be okay with it so far. **

**Sorry for any mistakes our errors! **


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